Why Divine Lee Had Her 2-Month-Old Son Baz Circumcised

New mom Divine Lee Go shared yesterdaythat her son Baz Go got circumcised at just a little over two months old. She documented it on social media, like how she shared her birthing experience in real time.

Smartparenting.com.ph reached out to the new mom via Instagram direct messages and found out that Baz had a laser circumcision done by a pediatric surgeon. It was a minor out-patient surgery; Baz didn't have to be admitted to the hospital.

"And he came out of the operation watching 'baby shark' in one of the nurse's phone. Haha!" Divine shared. On her Instagram Story, she wrote, "I don't know what I did to deserve such a calm baby. He didn't cry much, only during local anesthesia injection. Then, all good na!"

The new mom admitted that she was too scared and couldn't accompany her son to the operating room. It was her husband, Cebu businessman Blake Go, who was with Baz the whole time he was inside. "Hindi ko kaya. When they got blood from him when he was born, para akong sinasaksak," she wrote on her Instagram Story.

It was a quick outpatient procedure that took only about 20 minutes!

PHOTO BY screenshots from @divinemlee/Instagram Stories

Divine went to the chapel instead. She kept on reminding herself that circumcision is not a major operation, to calm her fears. "I can't go back yet because I might hear him cry. Baka sumugod ako sa loob," she wrote.

The little cutie went home shortly after the surgery and is recovering well. Divine shared that Baz only gets irritated when his wound is being cleaned, which they do every time he pees.

Baz is home and recovering really well.

PHOTO BY screenshots from #divinemlee/Instagram Stories

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"Babies are fast healers apparently. I can see his wound, but his temperament didn't change. He's still happy and playing!" the new mom added.

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When asked why she and Blake decided to have their baby circumcised, the new mom said it wasn't planned. "I wished someone told me sooner about circumcision," Divine told Smartparenting.com.ph. "Honestly, we didn't want to have him circumcised because we wanted to give him that choice when he's older," she added.

But then, before he turned two months old, Baz had a urinary tract infection (UTI), which is common among baby girls and uncircumcised baby boys. "Any fever for babies less than three months old is considered an emergency case," Divine stressed, adding they rushed Baz to the hospital then. "Immediately, they did a urinalysis, and they found out it's UTI," she said.

"Our doctor explained that in Baz's case, it's not about how we clean it, etc., as older people would equate with UTI diagnoses, but because the hole is small," Divine explained. "To avoid recurring UTI, the doctor advised us to do circumcision," she added.

"It is not a guaranteed way to keep the UTI away, but looking at his condition, it seems like that's what's causing the UTI. Recurring UTI can lead to reflux and kidney problems," the new mom explained further. "I don't think I can handle another UTI nor do I want to risk any kidney damage because of it, so we opted to have him circumcised."

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Infant circumcision is a sensitive topic and not a popular one among Filipinos. It's often seen as a rite of passage for tween boys. Some would even argue that it's cruel to let a baby undergo even minor surgery.

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However, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) maintain that in some cases, the health benefits of newborn male circumcision outweigh the risks. One of the significant health benefits of infant circumcision includes prevention of urinary tract infections in the first year of life.

Divine says it's really a case-to-case basis when asked if she'd recommend the procedure. She said she'd push for it for infants who have recurring UTI to lessen the chances of it happening again. "Because kidney damage is a bigger issue than circumcision," she said.